{"id":4538,"date":"2026-01-28T15:53:45","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T14:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eveha-international.com\/?p=4538"},"modified":"2026-02-25T10:11:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T09:11:05","slug":"hegra-2020-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eveha-international.com\/?p=4538&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Hegra – 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Direction
La\u00efla Nehm\u00e9<\/strong> (CNRS \u2013 UMR 8167 Orient & M\u00e9diterran\u00e9e)
Daifallah Al-Tahli<\/strong> (University of Hail, Saudi Arabia)
Fran\u00e7ois Villeneuve<\/strong> (University of Paris 1 Panth\u00e9on-Sorbonne- UMR 7041 ArScAn)<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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How Eveha Participates
Archaeological excavations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Location
Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fig. 1: The excavation site with Jabal Ithlib in the background (\u00a9 Mad\u00e2\u2019in Salih Archaeological Mission).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Excavation of the Urban Sanctuary of Hegra<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The participation of Damien Gazagne, from \u00c9veha International, in the excavation of the urban sanctuary of Hegra continued in early 2020. The fieldwork enabled the further study of the sanctuary, which was occupied between the 1st and the early 5th century AD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first phase (Nabataean)<\/strong> saw the construction of a sacred high place associated with a lower terrace surrounded by a temenos<\/em> wall. This phase shows comparative elements with South Arabian sanctuaries, notably the rooms built along the periphery of the temenos<\/em> wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second phase (Roman)<\/strong> is characterized by the transformation, in whole or in part, of the lower terrace into a place of worship for the garrison. New peripheral rooms were created, likely serving as chapels. These were dedicated to deities such as Jupiter of Damascus\u2014mentioned in an inscription discovered this year\u2014who were worshipped by the soldiers. The sanctuary now featured two entrances, formally identified during this campaign: the main entrance, to the west, provided access to the tetrapylon located at the top of the rocky outcrop, forming a type of high place. It was likely dedicated to the main deity of the sanctuary, possibly the \u00ab\u00a0God of the Heavens\u00a0\u00bb mentioned in an inscription. The secondary entrance, located to the north, opened onto the lower terrace, which was dedicated, at least in part, to other divinities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the Roman period<\/strong>, the lower terrace of the sanctuary was repurposed as a craft and industrial zone. The temenos<\/em> wall was partially dismantled to facilitate access to what may have been an oil mill, a series of kilns, and a house built within the sanctuary courtyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fig. 2: View of rock IGN 132 and the Nabataean sanctuary (\u00a9 Mad\u00e2\u2019in Salih Archaeological Mission).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Fig. 4: Excavations in progress at the foot of the rock overlooking the sanctuary (\u00a9 Mad\u00e2\u2019in Salih Archaeological Mission).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Fig. 3: One of the sectors excavated during the 2020 campaign (\u00a9 Mad\u00e2\u2019in Salih Archaeological Mission).<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Fig. 5: Work in progress at the foot of the sanctuary (\u00a9 Mad\u00e2\u2019in Salih Archaeological Mission).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Campaigns<\/h2>\n\n\n